Pottery is one of the most enduring artefacts from prehistory. It is of fundamental importance since, unlike stone, it can be precisely dated, displays regional variation and can produce information on the diet and economy of prehistoric peoples. Much prehistoric pottery is also highly decorated and aesthetically pleasing. It ranks amongst the major expressions of prehistoric art - the decoration of the pot often taking longer to execute than its manufacture.

This book introduces the reader to the styles and forms of British pottery, to its methods of manufacture, its uses and its contexts - and how these changed over the four millennia of the prehistoric period in these islands.

However, one constant feature of British and Irish pottery is the curious absence of figurative ceramic art in contrast to, for example, the figurines of mainland Europe. The author also draws on new techniques for researching the contents of pots and their roles within their societies.

For those who have always seen the study of pottery as an esoteric subject, an endless catalogue of typologies, this book will come as a revelation: it shows just how much we can learn about our prehistoric ancestors from the study of their jugs, pots and urns.